THE LAST LESSON

THE BACKGROUND: Two states of France, Alsace and Lorraine, were

conquered by the Prussian troops in the beginning of the 1890 Franco-Prussian
war. (The war lasted for only one year) The new government imposed rules and
bans on the French people. The last of the bans was the ban on the learning and
teaching of French.

IMPACT: The news of the ban was displayed on the bulletin board in front of the
town hall. People crowded there to read the bulletin. They were very much
shocked and sad. They had to accept the ban under great resentment. They saw
how much they had loved their mother tongue. They saw how important their
language was. They didn’t want to lose their language. They discussed their fate,
shared their bitterness and felt helpless.

THE UNUSUAL CLASSROOM: Among others Franz noticed that the

classroom was full and there were some old villagers sitting in the back benches.
M. Hamel announced that it was their last French class as the Prussians had
banned French in schools and introduced German instead. It was shocking news
for Franz. Only then he understood why the people had been staring at the bulletin
board. He too felt his love for French returning. He hated the Prussians for every
reason. He began to love his teacher, classroom, books and lessons. He felt sorry
for not learning his lessons, for postponing his study and for not realizing the
greatness of his language.

M. HAMEL’S SPEECH: Franz heard his teacher praising French, blaming

French parents for not sending their children to school and children for not
attending school. He also blamed himself for not being a committed teacher. M.
Hamel said that language is very important for a nation because the unity of a
nation mostly depended on its language and no aggression can make such a
united nation its slave. There was complete silence in the class. They were all sad.
Franz heard pigeons cooing on the roof of the classroom and wondered if the
Prussians would impose a ban on their cooing-language the next day. He heard an
old man, Hauser, reading lessons with the children. He too was crying.

THE CLASS IS DISMISSED: It was noon. The Prussian soldiers went marching
by the school. Their sounds frightened everyone. If they noticed that a class was
still progressing, they could have arrested M. Hamel. But M. Hamel showed
amazing patriotism. He wanted to say, “Long live France” but he could not. Either
he was overwhelmed by emotions or he was scared of the Prussians. He went to
the black board and wrote as big as he could: viva la France! Long live, France!

QUESTION AND ANSWER

What did M. Hamel mean by, ‘And now you see where we’ve come out!’
The people of Alsace were generally unwilling to learn their language. They left
learning to another day and did all except that. Suddenly the ban on French was
imposed by the Prussians and the people had no time left to learn their mother
tongue.

How is a nation’s language important for its citizens beyond the mere use for
communication?
Language is primarily important for communication. Besides, it has the amazing
power to bind a nation together. Once a nation is thus united it can stand against all
foreign aggressions and safeguard its freedom.

The dead reaction to the beetles that flew into the classroom clearly said the
children’s resentment to the ban on French. Explain

In M. Hamel’s school beetles used to swarm in and children used to take that for
fun, too. But that day there was an amazing change in the usual reactions to the
beetles. Due to the shock and sadness caused by the ban on French even the little
children took no notice of the beetles.

Why did M. Hamel say that people should safeguard their language among

themselves?
In M Hamel’s opinion language has great importance for every nation. If a nation
is well literate, there will be a great unity and understanding among the citizens. If
a nation safeguards its language, it is not likely that another nation can conquer it.

Why did Franz wonder if the Prussians would make even the pigeons coo in
German?
Or
Franz thinks, `Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons"? How
does the expression evoke feelings of indiscriminate domination by man?
Having felt helpless about the ban on French by the Prussian rule, France saw that
imposing one’s language upon the defeated nation is as inhuman as enslaving its
people and it can be considered as senseless as snatching the pigeon’s right to coo
in any way it likes to.
OR
Man has an inherent desire for power and unfortunately when he achieves it he
uses it wrongly. He wants absolute enslavement and thus wants not only land but
wants to master the mind and heart also. The story which is set in the Franco —
Prussian war, brings the dominant nature of man (Germans). Prussian had acquired
the districts of Alsace and Lorraine in the war but it was not only that they wanted;
they even wanted to take their language from them. They released orders not to
teach French anymore and only German would be taught. Franz who had
developed a sudden love for French was very sad and felt it was like mastering the
forces of nature and enslaving them too. During his last lesson in French when he
heard pigeons on the roof-top cooing, Franz ironically says this statement, whether
they will make these pigeons also sing in German.
OR
This sentence could possibly mean that however hard the authorities try to embed
German language in the culture of Alsace and Lorraine, the natural status of
French, for them, will remain unchanged. French flows in the air and the entire
place is imbued with its effect. Even though they train students in German, the
basic mode of communication would remain unchanged like the cooing of the
pigeons.

Describe how M Hamel conducted the last lesson.

In his last French class though M Hamel was emotional he fully involved himself
in the teaching learning process. He heard every lesson to the last sitting
motionless in the chair. When the church bell struck twelve he stood up pale and
wrote ‘Vive La French’ and with a gesture he communicated that the school is
dismissed.

“What would I not have given to be able to say that dreadful rule for
participle all through, very loud and clear, and without one mistake?” What
did Franz mean by this?
Franz wished if he could recite his lesson clearly, without any mistake so that he
could please M Hamel, the sad teacher just because Franz could recite his lesson
without any error.

“Now those fellows out there will have the right to say to you…” What will the
fellows rightly say to the French men? OR What was the justification of the
Prussians for imposing German on the Alsace population?
The Prussians had all the right reasons to impose German on the French citizens.
Even though it was their way of annexing Alsace and Lorraine to Germany, they
explained that it was their literacy programme meant for Alsace.

How does the author present a nation’s love for its lost freedom?
For the people of Alsace being conquered by another country wasn’t a new
experience. But they had never foreseen that their freedom to learn their own
language would be taken away from them one day. They had a teacher to teach
them French but they never took him seriously. They used to put off learning for
another day but one day came without another day to follow. Their freedom to
learn their own language taken away from them, the people of Alsace realized its
importance. Everyone, young and old, reflected the loss of something whose
importance they realized only when it was taken away from them. They wanted
their freedom back. They wished to learn their language as intensely as their
teacher wished to teach them in an hour’s time. The usually boisterous classroom
became a peaceful place of learning. Some felt a sudden love for their books that
were once burden for them while others wept with their books in hand. The teacher
became emotional and accepted his failure in teaching the people and his students
strove to learn French in an hour. They hated the Prussians and themselves for their
lost freedom.

"When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is
as if they had the key to their prison". Comment on the basis of the story
"The last Lesson"?
Political enslavement is a curse for any nation as it deprives it of its identity. The
natives of the country do not enjoy any kind of freedom, be it physical or mental.
The ruling government or the powerful compels them to abide by the rules justified
or unjustified. At such time it is their language, mother tongue which keeps their
identity alive. It is their language which unites them against the foreigners who
have invaded their motherland. It is also the key to their prison as the mother
tongue binds them together. It constantly reminds them to their enslavement and
brings them together to fight for liberation of their motherland. M. Hamel in the
chapter "The last lesson" reminds his countrymen to safeguard their language after
they received orders from Berlin banning the teaching of French in Alsatian
school. The natives can liberate themselves only if they recognize and maintain
their identity through their mother tongue.

How was the last class, a new lesson for Franz?

Franz was a typical child of Alsace. He too, like the others, had put off learning for
another day. To Franz learning French was very difficult. He loved anything
except his own language. But when he was told that there was no more chance to
learn of his language, Franz felt guilty of not having taken keen interest to learn it.
It is obvious that Franz knew no French, if at all to read and write. All of a sudden
his love for learning his language grew strong in him. He paid his full attention to
his master Hamel. He understood every rule of the grammar, every sentence, very
easy. The teacher no longer appeared to him cranky nor his terrible ruler any more
terrorizing. He loved to learn French in an hour. He felt very sorry.

Lesson 1- The Last Lesson(QUESTION BANK)

Short Questions

1. Give 2 reasons why Franz thought of running away and spending the day out of
doors?
2. What was more tempting than the rule of participles?
3. What was the bulletin board famous for?

4. Describe the usual scene and how was it different that day?

5. Describe the appearance of the master M. Hamel that day?

6. What surprised Franz on entering the classroom?
7. What was the news that came as a thunderclap to Franz?
8. Do you think Franz was upset for not learning his French lessons during the
whole year?
9. Give 3 reasons for the presence of villagers in the classroom on the day of the
last lesson?
10. What role did the parents and teachers play for the children’s neglect of French
language?
11. What was the opinion of M. Hamel regarding French language?
12. Mention a characteristic each required of both from the teacher and the student
for effective learning as portrayed in the text.
13. How does M. Hamel evoke feelings of patriotism in the class towards the end
of the lesson?
14. Do you think the group of children in the classroom belonged to a
heterogeneous age group? If yes substantiate with evidence from the text?
Essays
1. Political enslavement leads to an identity crisis Discuss with reference to ‘
The Last Lesson’

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. What was the narrator’s greatest fear as he moved towards the school?
Franz had started late for school and thus was afraid of being scolded. His fear
gripped him further for he was also unprepared. He had not learnt his lesson
regarding the rules of participles and thus dreaded the teacher’s anger.

2. What was more tempting to Franz rather than going to school?

The weather was pleasant, warm and bright. The chirruping birds were inviting
him, the soldiers drilling in the field were also outdoors and Franz was not
prepared with participles.

3. What was the news which was put up on the bulletin board?
For the last two years all bad news-the lost battles, the orders of the commanding
officer was displayed on the notice board. That day, the news that only German
would be taught in school of Alsace and Lorraine was displayed on the notice-
board which made the crowd gather there to read the news.

What was so unusual about the school on that day?

Usually there would be a great bustle of opening and closing of the desk, lesson
repeated loudly
and the teacher’s ruler rapping on the table but that day was very calm and quiet
like Sunday
morning. The back benches which were usually empty were occupied by the
village people and M.Hamel wore his special dress and was pacing up and down
with a ruler under his arm.

Why were the villagers seated on the back benches?

All the village elders were seated on the back benches as a tribute to the teacher
who had put in
40 years of sincere service. It was also their way of expressing regret for not
learning their mother tongue when they had the chance. They were also expressing
their patriotism and solidarity with France.

Franz didn’t learn French whom did M. Hamel blame?

M. Hamel didn’t blame Franz for not learning but his parents who were not
anxious to have him
learn. Instead they wanted him to work on a farm or at the mill to earn money.Even
M. Hamel was also to be blamed for sending him to water the flowers instead of
learning andwhen he wanted to go fishing he declared holiday.

What did M. Hamel say about French language?

He said that it is the most beautiful language in the world-the clearest, the most
logical. He
requested them to guard it so that they can be united and fight back for their
freedom.

What happened when the church clock struck 12?

The moment the church clock struck 12 the Prussian army came to take over and
M. Hamel stood up, wanted to tell something but his voice was chocked. He
gathered his strength and wrote on the black board as large as he could–‘Vive La
France’ and dismissed the school.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Justify the title of the story “The Last Lesson”.
Value Points
People always feel there is plenty of time to learn—so also in Alsace—now no
time—parents not keen—preferred children , work in farms, mill—Franz looked
opportunity to escape school never
serious—receive orders from Berlin—people realize importance of their language
—attend the lastlesson

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Write a note on the character of M. Hamel as a teacher?
2. Do you think the story touches upon the brutalities of war? Comment.
3. What thunderbolt did the narrator receive on reaching the school? How was it
affect him?
4. At the end of the last lesson M. Hamel wrote, ‘Viva La France’ on the board in
bold letters. Why do you think he wrote that and how did he expect the people of
Alsace–Lorraine to keep theiridentity intact?
5. What were Franz’ feelings about M Hamel and his French lessons?How did they
undergo a complete change?

Value Based Question: Answer the following in about 100 words.

M Hamel ‘TheLast Lesson’ says to the people of Alsace about the necessity of
their mother tongue-French: “.... We must guard it among us and never forget it
because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is
as if they had the key to their prison”.
‘Mother tongue is the language of one’s thoughts and ideas. Rejecting one’s
mother tongue is denying one’s own culture and identity.’ Do you think so? Write
your reflections on the above statement in the form of an article to be published in
your school magazine, encouraging your
friends to the need for learning and protecting their mother tongue.